President Clinton’s plan to engage 100,000 young Americans in useful community service is ambitious and laudable. But when he cites potential arenas of service for members of the “New Peace Corps” (teaching, recycling, police work), the president leaves out the most natural arena of all: the public library.
As the administration prepares to wire the nation into a computerized data “superhighway,” it makes perfect sense to have volunteers serve in local libraries, where they can make information accessible to those who need it most.
President Clinton has stressed that his program, rather than creating a new bureaucracy, will build on existing local institutions. Public libraries, already in place as a national information infrastructure, fit the bill.
Of course, volunteers will not be able to replace professional librarians. But young people can work with library staff to reach into underserved communities, tailor information to local needs and build partnerships between libraries and institutions like schools, health clinics and neighborhood organizations. They can help citizens learn about new data technologies and about how to gather and use information effectively.
Information powers economic development, cultural understanding and not least, democratic participation. But to make a difference in people’s lives, it must be available and it must be used. Sponsoring national volunteers to serve in public libraries will make certain that the “information superhighway” can be traveled by all Americans.